Microsoft Reveals Deep Roster Of Indie Games Headed To Xbox One

When
Microsoft announced the Xbox One launch lineup, it was surprisingly
light on independently created games. Today the company rectified
that by revealing a healthy roster of 25 games coming to the new
console in the coming weeks and months.

Not
all of these are Xbox One exclusives, but many of the games have
released to critical success on other platforms already and should go
a long way toward filling out the digital marketplace. We already knew that games like Super Time Force, CastleStorm, Guacamelee, and Roundabout were headed to the platform, but some of these are new announcements. Here
is the full lineup with a short description of each game provided by
Microsoft:

1001
Spikes by Nicalis -
This hardcore side-scroller features precise controls and a degree of
difficulty that means starting with 1001 lives is not at all a
guarantee you can make it through the game! Every level is custom
designed to be beaten... barely. The game also includes co-op and
cutthroat multiplayer modes.

Calibre
10 Racing Series by Bongfish GmbH - Calibre 10 Racing Series is a spiritual successor to Harms
Way. The game is entirely multiplayer in a new experience that
combines action-packed racing with fast-paced first person shooting.

Chariot by Frima - Chariot is a humorous physics-based couch co-op platformer in
which a brave princess and her suitor carry a funeral wagon through
ancient mines, fending off swarms of looters while amassing riches,
to bury the King's remains in a worthy gold-filled tomb.

Chuck's
Challenge 3D by Niffler -
From the design veteran behind the classic game Chip's Challenge, comes Chuck's Challenge 3D, a fiendishly addictive puzzler
that's packed with features that will tease the brain and challenge
the fingers.

Contrast by Compulsion Games - Contrast is a 2D/3D adventure game, set in a surreal, 1920s,
film noir dreamscape. You must help Didi explore the mysteries
surrounding her family, by using your ability to shift at will
between the 3D world and your 2D shadow.

Forced by BetaDwarf ApS -
One- to four-player co-op arcade adventure with puzzles and tactical
elements. You are cast as slaves in the toughest fantasy gladiator
school of them all, condemned to fight as a gladiator and eventually
win your freedom.

Fru by Through Games - Fru is a Kinect-based puzzle platformer in which the player
utilizes both a joystick and their body to control the game. In fact,
in Fru, the player's silhouette is used to reveal what lies
beneath the world at first glance. Fru's gameplay changes
according to the player's shape, pose and movement.

Guacamelee
Super Turbo Championship Edition by DrinkBox Studios - Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is an
action-packed, 2D brawler/platformer that alternates between the
worlds of the living and the dead.

Gunscape by Blowfish Studios -
At its heart, Gunscape is an FPS construction kit: A game with
solid action gameplay, a welcoming approach to map building and a
huge toolbox of iconic weapons, monsters and level elements that can
be extensively combined to create new and exciting gameplay
experiences.

Habitat by 4gency - Habitat is a space-themed strategy game set in Earth's orbit,
where you lead a team of engineers to save humanity by building a
space station out of an orbiting wasteland of space junk.

Hyper
Light Drifter by Heart Machine - Hyper Light Drifter is an action adventure RPG in the vein of
the best eight-bit and 16-bit classics, with modernized mechanics and
designs on a much grander scale.

It
Draws a Red Box by Other Ocean - It Draws a Red Box is a chaotic eight-player eSport jumping
jetpack future arena ball game that is as inspired by Bomberman and Smash Bros. as it is by cans of soda, paint-by-number
books, and driving five miles faster than the speed limit.

Nutjitsu by NinjaBee - Nutjitsu is a top-down, arcade-style game for Xbox One. Players
take control of the ninja squirrel on his quest to reclaim his clan's
honor. Featuring two game modes, five power ups, 25 ranks, three
distinct enemies and 15 levels, this HTML5 based title is coming to
your dojo in early spring.

Pinball
Arcade by FarSight Studios - Pinball
Arcade features exact recreations of the all-time greatest pinball
tables from Williams, Bally, Stern Pinball and Gottlieb together in one game. Every flipper, bumper, sound effect, and
display pixel has been painstakingly emulated in astonishing detail.

Q.U.B.E.
Director's Cut by Toxic Games - Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut is a first-person game that faces the
player with a series of brain-teasing puzzles. The player uses high-tech gloves to manipulate different types of cube in the environment
- unravelling conundrums ranging from physics-based challenges; to
3D jigsaws; to platform-based trials.

Riptide
GP2 by Vector Unit -
Featuring dynamic racing on fully interactive water surfaces, Riptide GP2 sets the gold standard in modern water racing
games. Take control of rocket powered hydro jets to race through
futuristic cityscapes, hurl yourself off sky-high jumps and bust out
dozens of death defying stunts.

Roundabout by No Goblin - Roundabout is an open world driving puzzle game where you
control a constantly rotating limousine! Pick up passengers, find
secret collectibles, take on dangerous missions, and fall in love
while reliving the 1977 rise to fame story of Georgio Manos.

Sixty
Second Shooter Prime by Happion Laboratories - Sixty Second Shooter Prime is a twin stick shooter with a
sixty-second time limit. This new Prime version brings a graphics
upgrade, a new soundtrack, infinity mode and social leaderboards.

Strike
Suit Zero by Born Ready Games - Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut is a space combat game that
throws players into huge, intense space battles where the very fate
of Earth rests on your dogfighting skills

Super
Time Force by Capybara - Super Time Force is an action-packed platformer with a
time-traveling twist! Take control of up to 16 unique characters,
and battle across six different time periods, from the long-ago past
to the far-away future.

The
Last Tinker by Mimimi Productions -
In a world where creativity has given way to conflict, a young street
kid living in the slums of Colortown seeks to restore the spark of
imagination to his hometown. A charming blend of modern platforming
and multicolored style, The Last Tinker is a one-of-a-kind
adventure.

Wulverblade by Darkwind Media - Wulverblade is a side-scrolling brawler created in the spirit
of the arcade greats. It's 120AD and the Roman army has seized
control of Britannia. Their goal: march north and conquer the island
with brutal and bloody efficiency. The 5,000 strong 9th Legion are
preparing for war, but little do they know what lies in wait for
them.

Microsoft says many other games are coming to the platform as well, including Another World, The Arc, Mortar Melon, Ninja Cowboys, Pool Nation FX, and Stick it to the Man.

So, can we please stop with all the PS4 bashing? Indiestation 4! Indiebox 1! I think we can all agree that Indie games are amazing and that they compliment and are in addition to the AAA games we receive on our respective consoles. Steamworld Dig here I come! :)

Holy Moly! That's quite the list. I enjoyed the write-up of each title as well. Thank you GI. Xbox has ALWAYS been about the indies from bringing about a few hits such as Braid, Limbo, Super Meat Boy, Fez, Castle Crashers, and most recently the hit State Of Decay among many others. I look forward to playing a number of these this year and more to come on my future Xbox One. I also thank Playstation for bringing about Guacamelee so I can now play that. Indies rule!

Where are the release dates/time frames? Super Time Force soon please?
Also, where is Minecraft? Wasn't currentgen supposed to be March14? Guess not, mojang is still considered an independent company right? Not being on this list hints current gen Minecraft is far off...